Category: Writing

“We honor the wisdom that comes with age.” The girls of the land of spring, to Demeter in her guise of old woman. “A Tangled Web” from Harvest Moon.

“What a mother feels for her child is not rational.” Hades to Persephone, understanding Demeter better then she does. “A Tangled Web” from Harvest Moon.

“The annoyance, of course, was because like rude boys, they had been caught.” The “heroes” responding to Rhadamanthus. “A Tangled Web” from Harvest Moon.

“For though I go from my beloved mother, I go to my beloved husband. Persephone’s words on parting from her mother. “A Tangled Web” from Harvest Moon.

“He saw what I wanted him to see, because I wanted him to send me far, far away.” Moira, thinking of how she had come to be schooled by the Countess. “Moontide,” from Winter Moon.

“Beauty had a hard time making itself plain.” Moira is grateful for her plainness. “Moontide,” from Winter Moon.

“His mother had told him about the sky, but he had never expected it to be this far away.” Sue Ann Bowling, Homecoming. Roi is remembering the first time Derik ever took his slaves outdoors, and his first sight of the sky.

Contexts of quotes for the past week. All but for the last are from The Two Towers, by JRR Tolkien

“It is my fate to receive help from you, where I least looked for it.” Frodo to Gollum, in the desolation before the Gates of Mordor.

“Your fate [is] to help me whom you long pursued with evil purpose. A continuation of Frodo’s speech to Gollum.

“The desire of it may betray you to a bitter end.” Frodo warning Gollum about the treachery of the Ring.

“Which way should he choose? And if both led to terror and death, what good lay in choice?” Frodo is faced with the choice of trying the “secret” way Gollum wants to show them and the obvious peril of the Black Gate.

“If ever you met me you wouldn’t forget me.” Part of a bit of nonsense poetry Sam declaims, about Oliiphants.

“We might be wanting to go back. We might!” Sam, deciding to send Gollum hunting in hopes of stretching their rations.

“His mother had told him about the sky, but he had never expected it to be this far away.” Sue Ann Bowling, Homecoming. Roi is remembering the first time Derik ever took his slaves outdoors, and his first sight of the sky.

Contexts of quotes for the last week. All but the last are from Andre Norton.

“I fancy any odds we can get while the game is still in play.” Ordeal In Otherwhere. Charis, when they seem to have only a tiny chance of blocking the Company grab.

“What can one like about this? It is something we have agreed must be done.” Ordeal In Otherwhere. Charis, arguing with Shann about the possibility of getting into the base by use of the Power.

“How could anyone sleep with such a task before her?” Ordeal In Otherwhere. Charis speaking to Thorvald, arguing about the possibility of her using the Power to get both of them in and out of the base quickly.

“Killing leaves only the dead, and the dead may not be summoned back by any power known to living creatures.” Ordeal In Otherwhere. Shann Lantee’s statement to the Wyvern males, arguing against their desire to wipe out the females of their species.

“Governments might rise and fall, but the Guild remained.” Forerunner Foray. The Guild in this case is the Thieves’ Guild – organized crime.

“Fear, faith and obsession were akin.” Forerunner Foray. Part of Ogan’s teaching to Ziantha.

“Home,” she said aloud. “I can go home. I may die, but I’ll die with a Riyan wind in my hair.” Sue Ann Bowling, Homecoming. Marna is still on the isolation satellite, but has just realized that her only reason for staying there is meaningless if she is to die.

All but the last of these quotes are from Mansfield Park, which is 200 years old this year.

“There should be moderation in everything.” Sir Thomas to Fanny, commenting on Fanny’s not having a fire, thanks to Aunt Norris.

“I thought it all might pass for nothing with him. Fanny’s attempt to explain her refusal of Mr. Crawford’s proposal.

“I must be a brute indeed, if I can be really ungrateful.” Grateful to Lord Bertram who had raised Fanny

“You have some touches of the angel in you.” Henry Crawford to Fanny.

“How could you imagine me an advocate for marriage without love?” Edmund to Fanny, talking of Crawford’s proposal.

“As a by-stander, perhaps I saw more than you did.” Fanny to Edmund, talking about the play

“It would have been easier if the Genetics Board had not insisted that she bear his child.” Sue Ann Bowling, Homecoming. Derik is half-wishing Vara had not been forced by the Genetics Board to have his child, but he cannot regret the child.

All but the final quotation are from Going Postal, by Terry Pratchett.

“Steal thousands of dollars and you were either a government or a hero.” In contrast to stealing a few dollars. Moist’s thought as he is waiting to be hanged.

“No practical definition of freedom would be completely without the freedom to take the consequences.” Lord Vetinarri to Moist, including that the consequences may be death.

“Weapons made him nervous, which was why he’s never carried one.” Moist to himself, during his first escape, thinking over his situation.

What kind of man would put known criminal in charge of criminal in charge of a major branch of government? Aside from, say, the average voter.” Moist, thinking over his situation,

“Being an absolute ruler today was not as simple as people thought.” “A least, it was not simple if your ambitions included being an absolute ruler tomorrow.”

“Who will tell the tyrant that he is a tyrant? “Lord Vetinari, in a conversation with Drumknott.

“The R’iil’nai said there were certain rules of civilized behavior we had to follow.”—Bowling (yes, me.) The book is Homecoming, and the context is the Human, Cinda, telling Marna about the Confederation. “The R’il’nai said there were certain rules of civilized behavior we had to follow. Like not trying to take over a planet with another intelligent species on it.”

It’s Sunday again, time for Weekend Writing Warriors (click the logo above) and snippet Sunday (click the logo below.) This quote is again from Rescue Operation, following last week’s. The first speaker is Roi, and “it” is Zhaim’s artificial conscience.

“I worked with her to implant it, which is something none of the rest of you did. I know how hard it was, even for her.” He hesitated, but the pause gave Derik an opportunity to speak again.

“And you’ve chosen to keep the memory intact, with all of its emotional baggage. Roi, you’re not a vindictive person. Why don’t you strip the memory into computer storage, like the rest of us have? I’m not defending Zhaim on the Horizon vote. His judgment was atrocious.”

“Those who rule a land are responsible for it.” Especially when things go wrong.

“So we’re going to die, just as I should have died with everyone else, two centuries ago. “ Homecoming, by Sue Ann Bowling. This is Marna , speaking to one of her tinerals as she realizes that the life-support system of the satellite has failed. Tinerals resemble feathered monkeys with wings, can fly as juveniles but are ground-bound as adults, and after millennia of selective breeding sing in harmony with each other or with other singers.

The snippet is again from Rescue Operation, with Derry being the first to speak.

“Concentrate on how this policy is hardening anti-Confederation sentiment on Horizon. On other planets without slavery, for that matter. Whatever you do, don’t present this as a disagreement between you and Zhaim. Your paranoia where Zhaim is concerned is too well known already.”

“Paranoia.” Roi snorted. “Derik, he tried to kill me. Yes, it was more than two and a half centuries ago. Yes, Marna’s artificial conscience should prevent his ever deliberately harming anyone again.”

Here are the contexts of a number of quotations. All but the last are from The Two Towers by J. R. R. Tolkien.

“It is more treacherous than you are. It may twist your words.” Frodo to Gollum, when Gollum offers to swear on “the precious” (the Ring.)

“Perhaps you can’t even try, not yet anyway.” Frodo has offered Gollum a share of the elven-bread, but Gollum cannot eat it.

“I do not think we need give thought to what comes after that.” Frodo’s first open admission to Sam that they are unlikely to survive the mission to destroy the Ring

“They know that they can only come to morning through the shadow.” And the shadow seems very dark to Frodo and Sam as they catch their first glimpse of the lands before the Gate of Mordor.

“There is another way. Darker, more difficult to find, more secret.” Gollum, offering to show Frodo and Sam a “back door” to Mordor.

“He’s as wise as any, but he’s soft-hearted.” Sam’s opinion of Frodo, as they follow Gollum to Cirith Ungol.

“She had forgotten a lot about planets, Marna decided less than a day after returning to Riya.” Homecoming, Bowling. Marna has spent her last two centuries on an isolation satellite, and is not at all used to being rained on (literally) or in fact any kind of weather.